The Christmas tree is an evergreen tree, usually a balsam or Douglas fir, decorated with lights and ornaments as a part of Christmas festivities. It has its roots in the customs of ancient Egyptians, Chinese and Hebrews who treated the wreaths and garlands of evergreen trees as a symbol of eternal life. The Romans draped their temples with green branches of trees. The tree worship, common among the pagan Europeans, survived even after their conversion to Christianity. These included the customs of decorating their houses and barns with evergreen trees in the new year to scare away the devil and to set up a tree for the birds flying around this time.
The modern Christmas tree originated in West Germany. The main prop used in a popular medieval play about Adam and Eve was a fir tree hung with apples (paradise tree) representing the Garden of Eden. The Germans set up a ‘Paradise Tree’, in their homes on 24 December, the religious feast day of Adam and Eve. They hung wafers on it. They also used Christmas pyramid, a triangular construction of wood, with shelves to hold Christmas figurines, candles and a star. By the 16th century the Christmas pyramid and the paradise tree had merged and the result was the modern Christmas tree. In Northern Europe, a tree is the central feature of Christmas decorations.
The custom became widespread among the German Lutherans by the 18th century. Later it was also introduced in England in the mid 19th century by the German Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria.
The Victorian tree was decorated with candles, candies and fancy cakes that hung from the branches by ribbon and paper chains. Prince Albert had the first such Christmas tree set up at Windsor Castle in 1841.
The German immigrants brought this tradition to wider use in the United States in the 17th century. These trees soon became the height of fashion by the 19th century in America. They also became popular in Austria, Switzerland, Poland and Holland. In China and Japan, Christmas trees, introduced by U.S. missionaries in the 19th and 20th centuries were decorated with intricate paper designs.